Tenants unions now officially have a seat at the table in New
Haven city government, thanks to a new law approved by
alders Tuesday night.
That vote of approval took place during the latest bimonthly
full meeting of the full Board of Alders. The meeting was held
in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.
All 24 local legislators present on Tuesday voted in support of
an ordinance amendment that formally recognizes tenants
unions and gives them a voice in investigations conducted by
the Fair Rent Commission.
That means that tenants in certain multi-unit apartment
buildings now have a legally recognized path for banding
together and collectively amplifying concerns about high
rents, poor housing conditions, and other matters that might
come up during a city Fair Rent Commission investigation.
While the new law allows qualified and registered tenants’
unions to appoint a representative who can assist in Fair Rent
Commission investigations, it does not permit tenants’ unions
to file collective complaints with the commission. That will still
have to be done tenant by tenant.
“This night was a big one,” said Kay Pittman, a member of the
Quinnipiac Gardens Tenants Union, which is one of three
tenants unions to pop up in New Haven and Hamden over the
past year with the help of organizers from the local chapter of
the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
DSA member and tenants union organizers Luke Melonakos-
Harrison agreed. “This is a step in the right direction,” he said
as he and fellow tenants union advocates celebrated the
alders’ vote. Next up, he said, is pushing for municipalities
across Connecticut to pass similar legislation recognizing and
supporting the growth of tenants unions.
So. What exactly does this newly approved law do?
- It establishes new definitions in city law for the terms
“tenants’ union” and “tenants’ union representative” for the
purposes of allowing a registered, qualified tenants’ union to
participate in the Fair Rent Commission process.
A “tenants’ union” is defined as: “an organization whose
membership is comprised of the tenants living in a housing
accommodation containing ten (10) or more separate rental
units sharing common ownership and located on the same
parcel or adjoining parcels of land, and that has been created
by agreement of a majority of the tenants listed as lessees
within the housing accommodation. Such organization must
be registered with the commission to participate in any
studies, investigations, and hearings. Tenants living in an
owner-occupied housing accommodation may not organize
a tenants’ union.”
And a “tenants’ union representative” is defined as: “the
person designated by the members of a tenants’ union to
represent it in connection with any studies, investigations, and
hearings involving that union or its members. Such person is
not required to be a tenant or resident of the
housing accommodation.” - It describes exactly how a tenants’ union and its
representative can interact with the Fair Rent Commission
during that body’s investigation into an allegedly too-steep
rent increase.
That part of the new law reads: “The commission recognizes
the right of tenants to organize tenants’ unions consistent with
this chapter and the commission’s rules, regulations, and
procedures. At the written request of a tenants’ union
representative, the commission may, after study and
investigation, make findings regarding the housing
accommodation of that tenants’ union, consistent with any of
the standards pertaining to rental charges in § 12 ¾‑8. The
commission may rely on such findings when reaching
a decision on a complaint filed by a member of that tenants’
union. The commission may also refer those findings to other
city departments or commissions responsible for regulating
housing accommodations within the city. The commission
shall promulgate rules and regulations governing the activities
of tenants’ unions before the commission.” - Finally, the new law updates the list of criteria that the Fair
Rent Commission must consider when determining whether
or not a rental charge is “excessive” to comply with state law.